Luna's First Year
by Silverstream.'-123
Summary: You really think Harry and Ron did all the work in the Chamber of Secrets? Think again. The firstyear Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood, helped as well... Some HHR, some RLU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Luna Lovegood, but I do own some of this plot. Other than that, it's all J.K. Rowling. **

**Please read and review. This is for those who like Luna. **

_Chapter One: The Trip to Hogwarts (and before)_

Luna Lovegood was seated in the back of a muggle bus. She was the only person left on the bus as it chugged along slowly. She did not look out the window, or stare at the floor. She gazed straight ahead, as if in a dream, at the driver in the front.

The driver, an old man ready to retire, was quite confused by Luna's odd behaviour. He could only half see her: another seat was hiding her face. Only one of her eyes, half her nose and mouth, and half her body was visible. And that eye was staring straight ahead.

"You all right back there, miss?" called the driver. They were practically at the bus depot.

"Of course I am," Luna said. "It's wonderful to be alive."

"Yes," the driver answered, his face red, and drove into the bus depot.

Xenophilous Lovegood, Luna's father, waited quietly for her at the depot. She waved and scooted closer to the window as they arrived.

She exited the bus quickly and hugged her father.

"Ah, Luna! How is my girl?" he asked.

"Just perfect, Father! Visiting the Leaky Cauldron was great fun. And to tie it all together, I saw a flying car, right outside a window of a house on Privet Drive! Imagine that!"

"How exciting! My little girl is growing up! Hogwarts is waiting, dear. Did your Aunt Muriel get all your supplies with you?"

Luna broke into a wide smile. Visiting Aunt Muriel was always such fun.

"Yes," she admitted. "Even though she didn't like it."

Xenophilous just laughed.

The Lovegoods walked home, taking care to spill out every detail of Luna's trip into the heart of London. She absolutely adored staying at the Leaky Cauldron alone, and visiting her beloved Aunt for a few days as she did each summer.

"How's the Quibbler?" asked Luna as they approached their house.

"All's well. We did an amazing feature on the Blast-Ended Scroot! I think the public enjoyed it immensely."

"It's much better than the hogwash the Daily Prophet prints," Luna said. "They used to think You-Know-Who was defeated, just by that boy, Harry Potter! I say 'Ha!'. But I still can't believe that boy got away again."

"With several injuries, I presume."

"Yes," Luna mused.

They were now inside Luna's house. Luna ran to the window, watching the stream outside. It was her favorite place to fish.

"No time for fishing now, Luna," objected Xenophilous. "You must pack your bags. You are to catch the Hogwarts Express at exactly eleven o'clock tomorrow. We'll be leaving at ten."

"Yes," Luna said.

She disappeared upstairs into her room, carrying her suitcase with her. Now that her London vacation was at an end, it was time for Hogwarts! Luna had dreamed about it for many years now. She couldn't wait to see the lights of the huge, beautiful stone castle.

Luna caught the train in the nick of time. The Lovegoods weren't known to be early, and traffic was terrible. Xenophilous insisted on driving a car instead of flying the many broomsticks he kept at home, so they stayed in traffic for half-an-hour. Luna just caught the train, two before eleven, walking as if she had all day to get there.

Luna boarded the train alone, putting her suitcase up above, and finding an empty compartment. Before she knew it, a confused-looking boy stumbled into the compartment, followed by a red-haired girl. Lastly, Luna watched as a brown-haired boy sat down beside her.

"Seamus Finnegan," he explained, shaking her hand. "Second year. I don't suppose you mind if we sit here?"

"No," Luna answered, taking out a copy of the Quibbler. Her father owned the magazine, which was packed with interesting facts about all sorts of random things.

"I'm Neville Longbottom." Neville, the confused-looking boy, did not extend his hand. "I've lost my remembrall. Have you seen it on the train?"

Luna did not reply. Seamus shook his head.

Suddenly, a toad shot out of Neville's hands, jumping across the floor through the open sliding door that led out of the compartment.

"Oh, no," Neville groaned. "I've got to go find Trevor. I'll see you later."

Luna realized the red-haired girl was looking at her hard and she gazed back.

"I'm Ginny Weasley," Ginny greeted. "You?"

"Luna Lovegood," Luna said. She turned the magazine sideways to read the answers to a quiz. Seamus and Ginny exchanged looks.

"Would you like some sprouts?" asked Luna, taking out a handful of brussel sprouts. Her father adored them, and so did she. "They're muggle's food! Quite interesting, really."

"More like contaminated," Seamus muttered. Ginny giggled.

Most of the bus ride was silent. Everybody in the compartment read, except for Neville, who was constantly leaving the compartment to look for either Trevor or the remembrall. At one point, a bushy brown-haired girl called Hermione Granger came in and said, "Ginny! There you are. You've got to see this! I think I see Harry and Ron are outside, in your father's car!"

Luna took no notice while the others left the compartment.

When they arrived outside the school, Luna was thunderstruck. The castle was beautiful, more immense than she could ever have imagined. She was completely taken by the beautiful scene.

"How intriguing!" she commented as Hagrid the half-giant appeared. She followed him, as he said, with Ginny right behind her.

"Bye Hermione!" called Ginny as the first-years disappeared into the row-boats to go to Hogwarts.

It was a warm night, and Luna took in the scene around her. Everything was beautiful.

She saw an odd scene—a flying car, like the one she saw on Privet Drive, was flying around the castle like they were out of control. She ignored it and twirled her finger in the water below her.

Soon enough, Luna found herself in the great hall, milling about at the front with the other first-years. The sorting hat had sung its song, and a few had already been sorted.

"Luna Lovegood," read Professor McGonagall, the head teacher of Gryffindor.

Luna edged her way between students to reach the sorting hat. Its worn out material touched her hair lightly, moving about as she did. Luna giggled.

"Ah. A bright one here, I must say! Perhaps an easy decision, but none the less, she's a bit off-task…"

The sorting hat thought for a moment.

"Alright," he said. "It is the right decision to put you into… RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table cheered as Luna made her way toward them. She was beaming: her father had been a Ravenclaw as well.

Luna immediately made a friend with a girl named Elizabeth Quincy. They talked over dinner, about their families and their lives, and how they were so excited for the next day: their first day of classes at Hogwarts! 'The only difficulty with Elizabeth,' Luna thought, 'Is that her father is an editor for the Daily Prophet!'

Other than that, Elizabeth Bennett was a perfect friend for Luna.

Dumbledore, the headmaster, made some quick announcements before letting the feast begin. Chicken, drumsticks, candy apples, dressing, salad, and more appeared on the table. Luna helped herself to two drumsticks, some cranberry sauce, and a few leaves of salad.

Ghosts milled around the room as well, popping up in food and gliding through innocent first-years, making them shiver with the odd, cold feeling of walking through a ghost. Luna, luckily, never got glided through, and hoped to keep it that way for a very long time.

Soon enough, it was time to go back to the Common Rooms. Luna and Elizabeth followed their prefects to the Ravenclaw common room, a cozy space with chairs, a fire place, and a comfortable couch. Luna went upstairs to find her bed, for she was downright exhausted.

She quickly changed into her pyjamas, brushed her teeth, and slid into bed. As soon as she closed her eyes she knew that a ghost was in the room, gliding through the walls. And so there was. It was an unfamiliar ghost to Luna, a gory ghost at that. It had a sword and a beard and creeped her out. Luna huddled into a ball, shivering, even though she was warm.

"The chamber of secrets," whispered the ghosts, leaving Luna to rest. But Luna didn't get to sleep: she knew she wouldn't in a very long time. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Already wrote one of these. **

**Hope you like it! **

_Chapter Two: Classes_

The next morning was a rush for Luna. She was used to sleeping in late—getting up at seven wasn't exactly her idea of fun.

But the classes—oh, the classes!—were so interesting. Luna just sat, staring at the teacher, her head cocked to one side. She listened intently to every single thing they said—Luna loved to learn.

Charms had to be her favorite class. Learning to make things fly was dreadfully exciting—for Luna, anyway. Elizabeth preferred Transfiguration, where they were simply learning to turn a rat into a small cushion.

Professor Flitwick was the head of Ravenclaw house and liked Luna quite a bit. He payed extra attention as she mastered all the spells he gave her—exclaiming with small squeals of delight, usually used in a girl's case of excitement. Luna found herself beaming into the faces of jealous Hufflepuff first-years, who took the classes with them.

Potions… Well, Potions was a bit harder than most classes, for Professor Snape was hard to please, but Luna found herself liking the concoctions you could make with a special mixture of ingredients. She found herself excelling in it, even to Professor Snape's misgivings.

Pretty much everything about Hogwarts was magical to her. Luna could just walk through the hallways for hours, staring at the delightful moving portraits and statues. She loved the outside of Hogwarts as well… the fountains and the grounds, Hagrid's hut and the greenhouses, were very pretty.

"Herbology," Professor Sprout said, "Is simple if you listen to me. There is a great deal of snapping, killer plants and I wouldn't want any of you younguns to get hurt. So mind yourselves while handling the greens."

Luna had a bad feeling about this class from the start.

"Welcome to Greenhouse 1," said Professor Sprout. "This is where you will find yourselves for all the Herbology classes."

Luna slumped onto her elbows, bored, and half-listened until the end of the lesson. Then Luna pushed herself up onto her feet and chatted with Elizabeth as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first-years exited the greenhouses.

"You looked like you were going to die," Elizabeth informed her.

"I felt like it as well." Luna rolled her eyes. "I didn't get half of the stuff she said. She went on and on about nonsense."

Elizabeth looked at her in surprise as they walked through a field of grass.

"Didn't you say your father was an expert in Herbology?" asked Elizabeth curiously.

"Unfortunately," Luna muttered darkly. "I'll just have to work harder to succeed!"

With that said, she flounced off with the others, leaving Elizabeth alone.

Elizabeth was indeed right. Xenophilous Lovegood was an expert in Herbology and absolutely adored anything having to do with plants. He also enjoyed Care of Magical Creatures, which Luna would do in her second year at Hogwarts.

Soon the two girls ceased getting lost and started to get used to the gigantic castle in which they schooled. Luna loved to explore when she had time off, walking through the many shelves of books in the library, shivering in the cold, drafty dungeons, and walking to Hagrid's hut a few times. Luna enjoyed Hagrid's company, for he had many stories that she loved to hear.

"Yeh know," he said once, "I got a fine good deal on a magical animal once—they're very rare, they are. Three heads with lollin' drool and thumpin' bad breath—but adorable all the same. Yep, I bought 'em pretty cheap."

"What kind of animal?" asked Luna.

"Dog, o' course," Hagrid told her, a surprise look on his face. "I ain't seen no three headed cat, if yeh know what I mean."

Luna giggled. Of course she had already heard the story about Harry Potter's triumph last year, how he got past the three-headed dog, the Devil's Snare, the game of chess (with Ron's help), the flying keys, the potions (with Hermione's help), and how he defeated Voldemort. Luna had only seen the boy with the scar a few times, but she enjoyed talking with Ginny about Ronald Weasley, Ginny's older brother, who Luna found quite attractive.

The first few weeks of school flew by, and classes grew harder and more disciplined. If a student were late to class, that student would most surely get a detention. Luna soared past the quizzes that were given in Flitwick's class. She was still majorly good.

"Luna, I wonder if I could see you for a moment?" asked Flitwick.

Luna stared at him. "But sir, I've got potions, and if I'm late, there are rumours that Professor Snape will fail me."

Professor Flitwick sighed. "Very well. We shall chat later. Run along, child."

Luna, confused, caught up with Elizabeth and they raced down to the dungeons.

Potions wasn't a difficulty for Luna either. Mixing up precise concoctions was not hard for her, it was more of Professor Snape's dislike of her. While one of the Hufflepuffs, a foul boy named Colin, stank up the room with his recent potion, Snape cleaned it out immediately. But when Luna made one teensy mistake, like putting a bit too much lizard's tongue in, Snape went ballistic on her. Luna found it hard to cooperate with this easily-angered teacher, but passed most tests he gave all the same.

Transfiguration was now getting less and less simple, but Elizabeth helped Luna when she couldn't get a spell, and Luna knew she would do alright in this class as well. Professor McGonagall was a fair, decent teacher, who tried to explain things as much as possible. Unfortunately for that Colin boy in Hufflepuff, he was already failing, and instead of turning his mouse into a cushion it was turned into a brown furry explosion. Luna had a feeling Colin would not be with them in Transfiguration next year, and in the class below.

"Defense against the dark arts."

The first lesson they had was with the famous Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart was a maniac, as far as Luna could tell, but she sighed and gasped as the other girls when he appeared. His stunningly good looks could not be overpowered by his most obvious stupidity.

"Right. The second-years had a few problems with pixies today, so we'll be…uh…" Lockhart looked troubled. "Learning about what Aurors do! Yes!"

Luna's eyebrows came up briefly. Luna's father had taught her about Aurors when she was five—and Aurors weren't dark magic.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was the least of Luna's worries. It was the easiest class and they weren't normally appointed homework. However, Herbology was a different story. Neither Luna nor Elizabeth were skilled in the subject, and however hard Luna tried, she found nothing interesting about plants. She slept through Herbology classes mostly, and was failing miserably, for account of the lack of sleep she had doing all her homework at night. Herbology, in Luna's case, was the absolute worst part of Hogwarts.

Soon Luna's father sent her a letter by owl. The owl was a beautiful tawny color, and her name was Patty. The letter was asking how Luna was doing, and did she liked Hogwarts? Luna wrote back in a few days, saying all was well and naming her favorite classes. Luna knew her father would be disappointed that she didn't say Herbology, but each to their own.

After one Herbology lesson, it was the end of the day and time for supper. Professor Sprout called Luna to her.

"I don't understand it, Miss Lovegood. Your father was such a star in Herbology, while you're failing." Professor Sprout looked disappointed. "I don't know what's wrong."

"I just don't find it interesting!" wailed Luna, shaking her blond hair from side to side. "Plants are not my idea of fun, Professor."

"Well," Professor Sprout said tartly, "think of it this way. Some plants can save your life, like the Mandrigs that the second-years used earlier today. That can save the petrified. And plants are interesting—think of how alive they are compared to muggles' plants! Please work hard. I know your father would be very disappointed if you failed this class."

"Yes," nodded Luna. "Thank-you, Professor. I'll try harder."

"Good," called Professor Sprout.

And she did try harder, which amounted to her passing most quizzes that Professor Sprout gave them. She explained to Elizabeth what the professor had said and Elizabeth swore to try harder as well. So, now Luna was excelling in practically everything!

Halloween was drawing closer and closer. What Luna did not know was that this fateful Halloween night would change everything.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: DUH!**

**Please read and review! The plot starts here. **

_Chapter Three: The Blood Letters_

Luna's first Halloween at Hogwarts started out as any normal day did. It was a frosty autumn day, but none the less beautiful. The day was off from classes, so Luna and Elizabeth took the time to go visit Hagrid.

"You know what's odd?" Luna asked them as they sipped tea. "On the first night I came, the Bloody Baron came into the girls' dormitories and whispered, 'The Chamber of Secrets.' I wondered why the heck he was there."

Hagrid's face turned pale.

Elizabeth asked Hagrid, "Are you alright?"

"You girls best be off," Hagrid muttered. He swung around to face them. "And don't go lookin' for trouble! Promise me you won't go searchin' for the Chamber of Secrets."

"We promise," chimed the girls, exchanging a few confused looks.

As they exited out the back door, the two girls talked in hushed tones to each other.

"Are you sure it was the Bloody Baron?" asked Elizabeth as they neared the castle.

"Almost positive," Luna told her. "I'm really sure I wasn't dreaming."

With those problems on her mind, Luna and her friend set off into the castle. Now that she was passing classes, she had another problem on her hands: the students. As they passed her, they called her certain names like, 'Loony Lovegood!', for sometimes she acted a little strange. Luna took no notice, but when Luna commented about fellow Ravenclaws stealing her stuff, Elizabeth got angry.

"We need to stop this now!" Elizabeth shouted as Luna searched for a stolen pen in her bag. "This has gone far enough. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you!"

"Really, Liz, I don't mind," Luna said softly as they entered the Great Hall for breakfast. "I knew this would happen. Sometimes people think I'm a bit…strange."

"You aren't, and don't ever think that, Luna Lovegood!" hollered Elizabeth.

Just as they sat down, helping themselves to some bacon and toast, the post arrived. Owls dropped letters into the hands of most of the students, and Elizabeth caught a small envelope.

"It's from Dad!" she cried excitedly.

She tore it open and skimmed it. She looked up at Luna, embarrassed, and muttered, "Read it."

_Dear Elizabeth:_

_How is school? Is everything well, my darling? Unfortunately I have heard shocking news and I dearly hope it is not true. You see, my dear, Xenophilous Lovegood, the father of Luna Lovegood, is the editor of the Quibbler, and an enemy of mine for quite some time. I do hope you do not spend time with that foul-blooded Lovegood girl. If you are, you must stop immediately. I will not stand for it, and your mother as well. Anyways, how's Transfiguration? You sent me a letter earlier saying that it was your favorite subject. I'm in a rush. Write me back. _

_Love, your loving father_

Luna looked up at Elizabeth in confusion.

"You can't spend time with me anymore?" she choked out.

"I'm sorry," apologized Elizabeth, staring at her plate. "I must do what my father tells me. He's very strict. Good luck to you, Luna."

"And to you, Elizabeth Quincy," muttered Luna.

Luna didn't try to act like she wasn't hurt by Mr. Quincy's letter. She was. It was as if a knife had cut into her heart. No one had ever judged her because her father was the editor of a good magazine! She puffed her chest out. It was not the Lovegoods who had the bad blood: it was the Quincys.

She watched her only friend walk away to join another girl. They began talking immediately, and after breakfast they exited the Great Hall together, talking and giggling. _That was me,_ thought Luna, then pulled herself together.

"It's good to be alive," she said to herself, pulling her shoulder bag up.

With breakfast over, Luna headed over to a girl's bathroom. She didn't have to go, but she had heard strange rumours about this bathroom and wanted to check it out.

In the doorway stood Ginny, her eyes looking a little odd, but still her cheerful self.

"Open," Ginny told her in a soothing yet commanding voice.

It happened so fast that Luna didn't know what was going on. Soon enough, she was saying, "Open,", and was pushed out by her friend. Luna didn't remember anything after, and just remembered that she owed Professor Flitwick a chat. Quickly, she raced down the hall to Charms class.

Suddenly, a cackling voice called out behind her, "Loony Lovegood!"

She fumed. Those Slytherins! Wilson Dagger, a first-year Slytherin, was always after her, calling her names and stealing things.

"Look here, Wilson!" she yelled, turning around and facing the red-faced boy. He looked startled for a moment, but kept jeering. "I did not come to this school to be teased. So STOP!"

Then a strange sensation took over Luna and she drew up her arm and smacked him across the face. He fell on the floor, screaming and yelling about a 'mad woman', and his friends carried him back to the Slytherin common room.

"Luna Lovegood!" Professor McGonagall's voice sounded distant, far away amidst the lonely silence that filled the corridors at the moment. "How dare you hit another! Ten points from Ravenclaw. You have earned a detention, and shall do it during lunch. Now go!"

Luna gulped. She didn't know her action would be so serious.

Actually, Luna didn't much care about the detention. She served it by helping Professor Flitwick in the Charms classroom, where she had meant to go anyway, and Luna showed him a few spells of her own that she had been practicing.

"Wonderful!" he said. "Miss Lovegood, you really do have a talent for Charms."

Luna beamed as she scrubbed the counter-tops of the desk with cleaner.

During the afternoon, Luna felt a little lonely without Elizabeth, but she explored the Grounds, as usual, and went for tea at Hagrid's hut. Hagrid and Luna chatted a while about school and lots of random subjects. By the time they had realized what time it was, it was about fifteen minutes to dinner, and Luna was starving. She called a good-bye to Hagrid and ran over to the castle, getting into the dinner hall just in time.

Luna ate quickly and left after about twenty minutes of eating, even though the students were supposed to stay in the Great Hall for at least an hour. She walked hurriedly around the corridors, expecting to find a teacher to tell her off for sneaking out of supper, but no one was there. No one except for Ginny Weasley.

"Well, hello there Ginny!" Luna greeted as she met her friend at the corner of one hallway. Ginny was carrying a jar of something red, but it looked more transparent than paint.

"Is that…paint?" Luna asked hesitantly, realizing Ginny had not met her greeting. Ginny's normally cheery eyes were set and pale, giving her a ghostly look.

"Stay out of my business!" shouted Ginny, pushing Luna aside onto the wet floor. Luna realized that Ginny had just come from a girls' bathroom that nobody used. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, to be correct, but Luna didn't know that yet, for she hadn't set foot in the bathroom.

Luna followed her to a point where three corridors met. Luna reflected that one was on the way to the Gryffindor common room.

"Whatever she's doing," Luna whispered to herself, "It can't be good."

Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, was playing on a ratty hook on the wall again, where a lantern was supposed to hang. She was hanging by her tail like a trapeze artist. Luna sank onto her behind, making sure Ginny could not see her.

Ginny said, "Here, snakey-snakey."

Nothing happened.  
"HERE, SNAKE!" she yelled. The noise echoed around the corridor, and once more nothing happened. Then Ginny took out a small book from her bag and wrote furiously in it. Then, as far as Luna could tell, Ginny read what she had written and looked straight at Luna's hiding place. 'Oh, great,' thought Luna sullenly, stepping out.

"Say, 'come, basilisk,'" Ginny instructed her.

"Come, basilisk," Luna said.

"NO!" yelped Ginny. "In Parseltongue."

Luna gulped. She didn't think anyone knew about her gift of Parseltongue. She could talk to snakes, and wanted no one to know of it.

"Come, basilisk," Luna hissed in Parseltongue. Her tongue felt dry as she heard the pipes clank inside the walls. Her foot sloshed on something. She realized there was water on the floor beneath her.

"Look away, Luna," Ginny called dreamily. "Look away from Mrs. Norris."

Mrs. Norris was hanging like a trapeze artist again. But suddenly, just as Luna looked away, Mrs. Norris froze and didn't move again. Luna heard strange sounds, like 'Kill… kill…" from the walls. Luna shook her head. When she gazed into the water, the tip of a snake's tail was all she could see.

"The basilisk," she said slowly. But Ginny was busy writing something on the wall. Luna, feeling sickened and knowing that the red stuff was blood, read it. 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.'

Luna looked at her friend.

"What's happening, Ginny?" she asked.

Ginny smiled back. For the first time in an hour or so, she looked normal.

"I'm just listening to Tom," she told Luna, skipping away with the practically empty jar of blood. "He's my best friend!"

'Tom?' thought Luna. 'Who's Tom?'

But she had to leave, for she heard footsteps scampering across the water, and had disappeared into another hallway, following Ginny, before they could catch her next to where Ginny had written the message.

Cries of outrage and shock echoed through the castle that night, and rumours of who had petrified poor, old red-eyed Mrs. Norris. Luna kept quiet, for she knew it was she who had called the basilisk. Luna felt completely guilty and promised herself never to approach Ginny alone.

The next day Luna set off to search the bathroom from which the water had come from, but found nothing. Not even a trace of the water from yesterday, which had stubbornly been mopped up by a sober Filch.

Soon Halloween was long-gone, and the Quidditch matches began. Rumours came around school saying that Harry Potter, the youngest seeker in history, was to petrify any one in his way. Luna heard the Ravenclaw team talking about avoiding the young boy on the Quidditch field.

Soon the first game came along. As tradition, it was Slytherin against Gryffindor. Unfortunately, Luna could see from the stands that all the Slytherins had new brooms, and were winning easily. Luna made a face at them as they came along, and it so happened to be the captain, Marcus Flint. He gave her the finger and then kept flying.

It was a very exciting game. Draco Malfoy, Slytherin's new seeker, and Harry Potter both were so close to catching the snitch. Harry had an enchanted bludger following him, which made his chances slim of catching the snitch before dying. But actually, Malfoy's new broom got caught on a strip of wood and he landed in the splits on the middle of the Quidditch pitch. Luna laughed along with the other girls as they saw Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, looking away in embarrassment and annoyance.

Harry leaned forward on his broom to catch the snitch, standing on his mere tip-toes. As he reached, the bludger that had been following him all game, flew toward him and hit him in the arm. Painfully, he put the injured arm behind his back and leaned forward to catch the snitch—at the same time as flying off his broom and landing in the sand. The crowd stopped cheering, and a few teachers, as well as Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, came to his aid. Luna wished she could as well, but she didn't know the boy at all.

Lockhart did it. The broken bones turned into nothing as he cast a spell on Harry's poor arm. Luna watched in disgust as Harry's wrist bent over completely, then flipped back. She closed her eyes as the girl beside her retched.

Unfortunately for Luna, that was also the day another Ginny-attack happened. The moment Luna saw Ginny alone, hiding from a boy named Colin Creevey and beckoning her over, Luna felt like running away, but the intensity in the red-haired girl's eyes had a certain power over Luna, and Luna raced over quietly.

"Petrify him," Ginny ordered. Luna felt herself drifting into an area where she couldn't control what she did as she looked into Ginny's eyes, and pretty soon had no idea what she was doing as she hissed, "Come and do your doings, Nagini."

Nagini was the name of the basilisk. She came quickly, appearing from around a corner, and quickly Colin Creevey was petrified as well, his camera just finished taking a shot. Luna felt disgusted with herself as she and Ginny left the scene, but there was no use trying to change the past.

As she looked into Ginny's intense eyes, she saw something else than intensity. Fear. Ginny was being possessed as well. What was happening to them?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: If you've already read my other Disclaimers, than why are you reading this one?**

**It's Elizabeth Quincy in earlier chapters, by the way. Not Benett.**

**Okay, some of these might not be the exact words from the book. Go easy on me. It's not like it's easy to find excerpts on the Duelling Club on the internet! Believe me, I tried. **

**OH! One more thing. Some of these lines are from the movie, not the book. Okay start reading now. **

**You know, why are you reading this if you won't give feedback? REVIEW!**

_Chapter Four: The Polyjuice Potion_

So, now Luna was caught up in the Chamber of Secrets business. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know the simple story of the Chamber of Secrets yet. She dearly wanted to find out.

One day, on her break period as she walked through the hallways, she heard a teacher talking quietly to another in the staff room. The door was closed, so she pressed her ear against the wood, listening hard.

"This is disastrous," said a teacher worriedly. Luna realized with a surprised face that the voice was Professor Snape's. "Two students petrified already?"

"The school will have to close. The Ministry is contemplating this decision. For any muggle-born students, this may be the end," Professor Trelawney announced. As far as Luna had heard, Professor Trelawney was the divination teacher, which was a subject for third-years and over.

"There may be another way to end this. We have to find out who has opened it."

Professor Dumbledore's voice was loud and clear. Luna was worried. The headmaster rarely went into the staffroom, he always sat and contemplated in his office. This must be an important issue to be discussing it with all the teachers at once.

"Wait." Professor Grubbly-Plank, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, spoke up. "I've never heard about this Chamber of Secrets. What's the story."

Luna heard a woman, supposedly, clear her throat. She realized it was Professor McGonagall.

"It starts up a thousand years ago. The four founders lived in peace. But after a while, the peace began to shatter as one of the founders began to disagree with what the others' decisions were.

"Salazar Slytherin wanted pure bloods only permitted into this magical school. The others thought that any average eleven-year-old witch or wizard, muggle-born or not, would be a part of the school. Out-numbered and out-voted, Slytherin got angry and left the school.

"Legend has it that before he did so, he made a special chamber, which would be opened many years later by Slytherin's own heir. And, of course, in it lies a monsterous creature."

"A snake, probably," Professor Flitwick spoke up.

"Why?" asked Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Because Salazar Slytherin could talk to snakes!" Professor McGonagall snapped impatiently. "You need to read more history books."

Professor Grubbly-Plank was not perturbed by this snippy comment.

"Has this happened before?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes." The response that came out of Dumbledore's lips was dry and cracked. His voice was filled with pain. "They thought that Hagrid did it."

"But he can't talk to snakes," pointed out Grubbly-Plank.

"Exactly," Professor McGonagall said tiredly. Luna tip-toed away, her eyes wide with fear and a touch of excitement.

A monsterous snake? Perhaps that was why she could call it to her. She was a Parseltongue, after all. Luna felt sick at the thought of being compared to Salazar Slytherin, who her family thought to be a demon, even though he was indeed one of the four founders. Luna shivered. Perhaps her father had been at school when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened before—should she write to him? No, this was hers to solve. She quickly walked off in search of Ginny, who probably had a break as well.

Soon enough Luna came across her common room, which she went into briefly, checking the bulletin board close to the girls' domitories. A bright blue flier caught her eye. It was a flier for the Dueling Club. Students of all years were to come if they wished to learn how to duel from the worst teacher of the staff, Professor Lockhart. And Snape was to help him. Luna forgot about the Slytherin escapade and giggled. She had to see this.

That evening Luna found herself at the duelling club. Many students were there, mostly girls, having read the flier. Luna didn't see Ginny, and remembered suddenly about the task at hand. 'I must find her!' thought Luna determinedly, and turned her attention on Lockhart.

"With my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart was saying. Professor Snape walked onto the long, narrow platform.

After sharing a few whispered words, Professor Snape and Lockhart gave the most absurd performance Luna had ever seen. She found herself giggling as they turned and walked to an end of the platform, turning around as they reached the edge. They put one arm over their heads and their wand hand pointing at their opponent's heart. Luna was trying hard to keep herself from laughing hysterically.

"Expelliamus!" shouted Snape on the count of three, and Lockhart was shot backwards, tumbling through the air at a fast speed. He landed hard, and walked up to Snape, saying, "Everyone knows I could've blocked that if I wanted."

"Well, perhaps we'd be better off to teach the students how to block the spells," Snape replied testily. Lockhart nodded hastily.

"Very well! I'll need a volunteer pair. Uh… Potter! Weasley! Front and center."

Luna looked up at Ron Weasley with shining eyes as he attempted to climb up the steps on the platform. Snape stopped him but let Harry through. The raven-haired boy stared at Snape as he countered, "Weasley's wand is broken. If we let him duel we'd be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?"

Draco Malfoy, his hair slicked back expertly, came up as Snape cued him. He stared Harry down as they approached, just as their teachers had done, and he asked, "Scared, Potter?"

"You wish," Harry stated, looking back into Malfoy's pale, determined face.

They walked down the platform to their own ends. Harry had Lockhart's end, and Malfoy had Snape's. They briskly turned around.

"On the count of three," said Gilderoy Lockhart. "One… two…"

"RIDUCTO!" yelled Malfoy and cast the spell at the unsuspecting Harry. He was shot backwards and landed hard, as Lockhart had. Angrily Harry sat up and hollered, "Expelliamus!"

A green jet of light cast Malfoy doing flips and landing at the edge, right on his butt. Looking embarrassed, he gazed up at Snape, who pushed him up once more.

Malfoy conjured up a snake right then, and Harry started speaking Parseltongue to save Justin Finch-Fletchey from the snake. Luna, who was in the back of the crowd, understood every word he said. Everyone else looked creeped out.

"What are you playing at?" Justin Finch-Fletchey asked, fixing Harry with a hard stare. The room was silent until Snape got rid of the snake. All in all, it was a very interesting lesson, and Luna was glad she came. She knew one more thing: Harry could speak Parseltongue too.

A few days later was the start of November, and Luna was now fixed on the new problem: figuring out what had happened with Ginny. Luna knew by experience that the red-head couldn't talk to snakes, so how did she open the Chamber of Secrets? Luna soon figured out that she had opened it, and her memory had been washed after. She was now angry.

Luna got into an even worse mood after she saw Elizabeth Quincy, who was playing with a small forged Snitch they had found on the ground. Luna, crying slightly, raced into the nearest girls' bathroom and locked herself in a stall.

"Excuse me, but that's my stall," a voice called out. Luna realized she was in the presence of a ghost girl, who you know by Moaning Myrtle.

"Sorry," Luna apologized.

"Ooh!" Myrtle gasped. "I'm Moaning Myrtle. I died in this bathroom."

Luna suddenly knew that Myrtle had been killed by the daunting yellow eyes of the basilisk. The Chamber of Secrets was in this bathroom, down the sinks, so she had probably come out and gotten killed. Luna was going to say something, but didn't because Myrtle said, "People are coming! Boys." She moaned. "Oooh, I died all because of a boy."

She growled in her throat. Luna, fighting back giggles, stood on the toilet and peeked over the edge of the stall. Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter had entered with a cauldron and ingredients. Luna had very good eye-sight, so when Hermione opened a book with the potion recipe they were making, Luna saw it. 'Polyjuice Potion. Will turn you into any other human being.'

Harry muttered something about how the potion was going to take too long. Ron, who was leaning against Luna's stall, said, "Are you sure we're allowed to be here? We're in the middle of a girls' lavoratory in broad daylight."

"Yes," answered Hermione. The potion was now started up, and they were adding ingredients. "Nobody ever comes in here."

"Why?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Moaning Myrtle," replied Hermione. Myrtle rose up from the stall beside Luna and snuck up behind Ron. Luna could see Harry was trying hard not to laugh, as she was.

"Who?"

"Moaning Myrtle."

Myrtle got closer.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?"

"I'm Moaning Myrtle!"

Myrtle flung herself around the bathroom, moaning and groaning. Ron looked completely scared, while Harry just looked amused and said, "You think we'll catch Malfoy?"

"I hope so, mate," Ron answered, glad to be off the subject of the creepy ghost girl. "I'm dying to tell him off. And I'm positive it was him. Bloody hell, I hate him!"

"We all do," Hermione mused. "Yes, I'm sure it'll be ready. We'll be sure to catch him, if you are right, Ronald." She had an amused expression on her face. "But I'm not sure, seeing as you're normally wrong."

"Shut up!" Ron grinned.

Hermione and Harry laughed together. Luna stared. Was it just her, or was there a spark going off there, between the two?

No, it wasn't just her. Ron looked jealously at them as they laughed together, Harry bending down to help Hermione add an extra tricky ingredient.

'It's alright, Ron,' thought Luna. 'I'm here.'

She smiled at him through the crack in the bathroom door until they left. She and Myrtle were left alone.

"Bye, Myrtle!" she called when she knew they had disappeared far into the castle.

"I presume you'll be back, with the way you were looking at carrot-head?" asked Myrtle, a sly look in her eye.

"Yes," Luna said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Hmm. What do you think?**

**Hope you like it. I did an extra part on the Polyjuice potion because it was indeed necessary… and there's romance in these scenes. Sparks! Haha. Okay hope you like it. **

_Chapter Five: Moaning Myrtle_

As Luna flounced through the hallways after the three second-year students, she felt strangely guilty. Why? Oh, yeah. Because they thought Malfoy had opened the Chamber of Secrets, but Ginny, sweet, innocent Ginny had, with the help of a certain blond-haired heroine, who is the star of this very story.

"I can't tell them," Luna told herself as she mounted the stairs up to the Ravenclaw common room. "Besides, Malfoy deserves them poking around. He can't be trusted. Besides, perhaps his father was the heir, and Malfoy made Ginny write the messages even though he's supposed to!"

The idea was so outrageous that it made even Luna, who believed the unbelievable, laugh. Malfoy would probably enjoy writing threatening messages to "mud-bloods" (Luna shuddered as she thought of the evil word), even if it meant collaborating with a monster. She giggled as she went inside the common room, and saw Elizabeth sitting alone, doing homework. They smiled sadly at each other, and Luna disappeared up in the common room, leaving her old friend alone. Elizabeth started at where Luna had been, and made a mental note to apologize as soon as possible. She missed her old, quirky friend. The thing was that Luna was starting to forget about Elizabeth. She was living her own life, figuring out her own things. She didn't need a best friend to help her with that.

The next morning Elizabeth approached Luna and said, "Can we talk?"

"Busy eating," Luna told her and shoved food in her mouth. The truth was that she didn't have time to make up with her friend: she needed to do most things alone if she was to figure anything out. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth caught the trace of snide in Luna's tone and stalked away, joining her other friends that she had made after she had received the letter. Luna didn't care how hurt her friend was; she needed to pursue the polyjuice potion and the Chamber of Secrets.

What Luna's classmates and teachers were noticing was that Luna was not working as hard and being as nice. She was in a sort of trance, as was Ginny. She hid in the bathroom in her breaks, waiting for Ron, Harry, and Hermione to appear. A few times she checked on their potion, but didn't take much notice about what was happening. She was failing Charms, and didn't answer her father's letters, which worried him. Luna met secretly with Ginny after dinner every day close to Dumbledore's office. They could hear voices upstairs, teachers, mostly. But they didn't listen to that. They were planning—planning what to do next. Ginny began to look scared at those meetings, and Luna noticed that she was always carrying the same leather book. She didn't ask, though. It was none of her business.

"What are they brewing in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" Ginny asked one evening.

"Polyjuice potion," Luna smirked. "They think Malfoy's gone and opened the Chamber. Such miscreants, those three."

"That's for sure."

Even though Luna called the three 'miscreants', she was still interested in what they did. She began to make up a scheduale for when they came and when they didn't. She would sneak in just before they did, and watch them through the cracks in the stall. Christmas was coming quickly, and Luna pretty much blew off school work. Soon the only subject that she was excelling in was Potions. She still found herself interested in the concoctions, but everything else seemed so unimportant. Still, the only subject Luna was failing in was Charms, which she could change in a heartbeat, but she chose not to. She was passing everything else, even Herbology. Her grades had actually improved since being taken in by the Chamber, which surprised her teachers, because they too saw the blank look in her and Ginny Weasley's eyes. They wanted to investigate, but didn't want to accuse anybody, for then parents would come in angry. Dumbledore knew the Weasleys and the Lovegoods only too well, and didn't want to mess with an angry Mrs. Weasley.

"They know," Luna told Ginny one night. She seemed worried, and Luna noticed she didn't have the leather book with her. "I think they're suspecting us."

"Yes," Ginny agreed. "But if they ever accused me, Mum would go ballistic."

"Daddy would too." And if Luna thought about it, her father would do practically anything for her. As the strength of that love filled her mind, she almost felt normal again, but then it disappeared, and her mind focused on the Chamber of Secrets once more. "Are you homesick, Ginny?"

The strange thought flitted through her mind as Ginny looked at the ground. Moments earlier, as Ginny talked of her Mum, her eyes flashed an emotion of sadness and anger. Luna couldn't quite pin-point it, but asked Ginny if it was homesickness.

"No," replied Ginny, looking Luna straight in the eyes. "I'm not, really. But all this is just… crazy. I don't know if I can do this anymore, Luna."

Luna, who was still in her 'Chamber of Secrets state' looked at her through hard eyes. "What? You're going soft?"

"I'm sorry," whimpered Ginny. "But I'm scared."

Ginny left her alone in the middle of the dimmed hallway. In a few minutes it would be time to go to the Ravenclaw common room, but like the first night she had ever been at Hogwarts, Luna couldn't sleep. She walked across to the girls' bathroom, half-thinking that perhaps Ron, Harry, and Hermione were there, but they weren't. The polyjuice potion looked practically done, though, and Luna vowed to come back tomorrow. It just so happened that the next day was Christmas.

Luna spied Harry, Ron, and Hermione across the Great Hall. Harry and Ron watched as Hermione explained something to them, and then Ron asked a question. Hermione answered in a hushed tone, looked around to make sure no one else was listening, and kept talking. Harry nodded. Luna could see that later that day, a plan was to be carried out.

Luna found herself following them as the day went by, but nothing interesting happened until after lunch. Suddenly, Harry and Ron veered away from Hermione, and enchanted two cupcakes. They hid behind a cupboard. Soon enough, Slytherin's pigs, Crabbe and Goyle, lumbered up to the cupcakes, their arms already full of sweets, and took a bite of one each. They looked at each other, nodding as if to say that the cupcakes were good, and then fell down. As Luna watched, containing giggles, Harry plucked a hair from Goyle, and Ron from Crabbe. Ron and Harry each took one of the boy's Slytherin robes, too. Then the two boys heaved each sleeping body into the cupboard, and walked away nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. Luna knew that the rest of the plan would be carried out after dinner.

Luna wished she could go inside and watch them eat, but she didn't want to miss them go into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so she snuck in instead of eating dinner. Her stomach growled loudly, but she kept herself busy by talking to Moaning Myrtle, who she had become close with. They chatted for a while, because Luna knew that dinner lasted an hour. So it took her by surprise when the three tip-toed into the bathroom at about half an hour into dinner, and spooned some potion into a glass each. They added the hairs, and drank some. Luna watched with a bit of amusement as a contorted look of disgust crossed Hermione's face first. She dropped the glass and told her friends, "I think I'm going to be sick!" The girl ran into one of the stalls.

Ron was next. He, too, dropped his glass, repeated what Hermione had said, and raced into the stall beside hers. Harry was left alone, and Luna watched his progress with interest at the top of the stall. He dropped his glass, but didn't run into the stall. Instead, gasping and panting for breath, he stared at himself in the mirror, while his features began to change.

His face elongated into Goyle's ugly pig features. His eyes turned smaller, his mouth tightened, his nose turned bigger. Harry found that the new robes fit perfectly, and went to find Ron, who was standing a while way from the mirror, looking… well, like Crabbe.

"Harry?"

Ron still had his voice.

Luna watched, yawning, as the boys talked about their new images and how to make their voices to sound more like Crabbe and Goyle. Luna noticed that Hermione still hadn't left her stall, and she was the first to transform.

"Hermione?" asked Harry tentively, knocking on the stall.

"Something's wrong. You two go without me," Hermione answered fearfully. Her voice was muffled.

"Are you sure?" Ron wondered.

"You're wasting time!" snapped Hermione. "Now go!"

The two boys rushed out, leaving Luna and the second-year girl alone. Hermione had started to cry, and Luna tip-toed out, trying to make it seem like she hadn't been spying. Then she opened the bathroom door loudly, and walked over to Hermione's stall.

"Anyone in there? All the other stalls are disgusting," Luna announced. "And besides, the floors are dirty. All my shoes have mysteriously disappeared."

Hermione shouted back, "GO AWAY!"

"Who are you, anyway?" Luna asked calmly. She was used to people shouting mean things at her.

"Well…erm…" Hermione was obviously trying to see if the girl outside her stall was trustworthy. "I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?"

"Luna Lovegood," smiled Luna. Her thoughts on the Chamber had disappeared, and now all she wanted to do was talked to this bushy-haired second year. "What's wrong? You constipated?"

Hermione giggled. She was no longer crying.

"No," she answered, sighing. "The polyjuice potion… well, it turned out alright for my friends, Ron and Harry, but… well… I'll open the door for you and you'll see."

The lock turned open slowly, and Luna stood face-to-face with a cat head. It looked quite like… Mrs. Norris.

"I put cat hair in mine. It was on a Slytherin's robes!" ranted Hermione hotly and Luna said quietly, "I'll take you to the hospital wing."

"No… I shouldn't even be telling you this. It's a little complicated, and you probably don't want to be a part of it. I'll wait for Harry and Ron—I want to know about what happened."

Luna was tempted to ask more, but she knew Hermione would tell nothing, so she said, "Nice to meet you," and walked out.

"You too!" called Hermione from the bathroom.

Luna smiled, but then a horrible thought crossed her mind. A Gryffindor, trying to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, knew who she was! Now if Hermione Granger ever saw her writing a message, or calling the snake, she would tell someone.

"Bloody hell," Luna muttered, echoing Ron. "I'm so stupid!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Ugh. **

**I know Luna gets to be a jerk in my story, but that's how it all comes down, so stop complaining!**

_Chapter Six: The Diary_

For the next few days Luna found herself worried about how Hermione knew her name, but that nervousness soon flitted away, like all other things. School was very rushed right now, for most tests and exams were coming. All the students could tell that the teachers were nervous. They whispered to each other in the halls and had many secret meetings in the staff room, or the dungeons, in places where nobody else would go.

Luna, amidst all the school work, still had time to spy on the three Gryffindors so she kept doing so. It seemed as if Ron and Harry's search got them to know that Malfoy had not indeed opened the Chamber of Secrets. Luna let out a long, gusty sigh when she heard that. If they had thought Malfoy had done it, then they wouldn't have figured out that Luna was a part of it.

Luna barely knew a thing about the Chamber of Secrets, and one part of her wished that she didn't do this and not to hurt poor innocent muggle-borns. But she felt herself rising with excitement every time she walked the corridors, thinking about being able to call a snake from deep below the school. She still hadn't actually been into the Chamber of Secrets, and the evil side of her wished she knew how.

One night after supper, Luna roamed the hallways alone as she usually did during supper. Luna found herself being less and less hungry those days, overcome by nerves and excitement both. Her world was being taken up by the Chamber.

Anyways, as she walked along the corridor that she and Ginny used to meet, she found a small leather book in the shadows.

"Ah, Ginny's book," Luna said to herself, flipping through the pages. No writing was found on any page. "That's odd."

Luna figured that when Ginny had left that last time, she must have left it in the shadows. "This must have something to do with the Chamber. Hmm. Answers will help me on my quest."

Luna never used to say mature things like, 'On my quest' but had found that mature vocabulary made her feel special. In truth, at the pit of her stomach she knew she was become a down-right idiot, but her mind was working overtime, and the Chamber of Secrets was her main thing right now.

Dinner was over, and kids flew out of the Great Hall, running to their common rooms. Luna walked casually with the flow, putting the book in her book bag like it was her own. She saw Ginny cast an uneasy glance in the direction of the book, but pulled away before Ginny could come any closer. If Ginny wasn't going to help her with the Chamber of Secrets, then she couldn't be Luna's friend. It was simple.

"Luna!" Ginny called over the hubbub, but it was too late. Luna had disappeared down a hallway to find the Ravenclaw common room, a perfect place to think. Generally common rooms were used for partying and having fun after classes, but Ravenclaws often went to the study hall, or their beds, and studied. The common room was practically un-used.

Luna sat down in a white chair and sank comfortably into the cushion. She opened the book expectantly, taking out a quill and ink and putting it beside her. She dipped the quill in ink and wrote in her light handwriting, "Luna Lovegood."

It disappeared almost immediately.

Luna stared in wonder at the little book, who seemed to grin back at her. She quickly wrote more, her handwriting now messy and uneven.

"Hello, I'm Luna Lovegood. I'm in Ravenclaw. Who are you?" she wrote just for fun. She said the words outloud quietly as she wrote.

What she didn't notice was that Elizabeth had come behind her and was saying, "What are you doing?"

Luna ignored her and watched the writing disappear again with fascination.

"Luna?" asked Elizabeth tentively, walking closer. She was practically reading over Luna's shoulder when Luna jumped up and yelled, "Lay off, you lazy git!"

Elizabeth turned bright pink and yelled back, "I'm never talking to you again, Luna Lovegood!"

Luna didn't care. She kept writing messages, and finally, at midnight, some response came.

A different sort of handwriting, spidery but thick all the same, returned. It said: "I'm Tom Riddle."

Luna wrote back quickly.

"Hello Tom. I'd like to know more about the Chamber of Secrets. Can you tell me?"

"No, my dear," came the writing. "But I can show you. Put your face close to the pages and come inside."

Luna did as she was told, her long blonde hair flipping on either side of the journal. Soon she found herself being sucked (it felt like being sucked in a tube) into the diary, and spinning until she reached the ground. Her eyes wide and mouth open, she spied a boy about in his third-year walking slowly to the girls' bathroom.

Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Quickly, Luna followed him as he walked up to the sinks. He said a funny word, but Luna recognized it immediately as Parseltongue. He was saying, 'Open.'

Suddenly the top of the sink flew into midair and each sink sunk into the ground, going under the grates. There was now a black hole in the middle of the girls bathroom.

"Come, Nagini," hissed Tom Riddle in Parseltongue. His call was answered by a strange hissing noise that was saying, "Coming, Master."

Luna shivered in distate. This hissing was disturbing as well as comprehendable. Suddenly she heard an odd sobbing sound. She turned around and realized there was a girl in one of the cubicles, crying and saying evil things about a certain boy in her class.

Luna whipped around as she heard more noise. She was staring into the eyes of a great snake, with huge yellow eyes. Nagini the basilisk hissed, "Yes?"

"Kill her," ordered Tom in Parseltongue.

The girl had stopped crying and was now curiously silent. She should be out of the bathroom by now, reflected Luna. Obviously she had heard the boy and was going to tell him off. A strange instinct inside her told her to scream "DON'T!" but she bit her lip.

The lock on the stall unlocked and there stood Moaning Myrtle's look-a-like, except for she had a redder, angry face in real life. Her dark hair was ratty and a little unkempt, but beneath the glasses she saw pretty blue eyes. Luna screamed as she fell to the ground as she looked into the snake's eyes. Luna suddenly knew she was looking at Moaning Myrtle, and when the Chamber of Secrets was opened before. Tom Riddle had done it, and was telling Luna how. It made perfect sense now.

"Pity. She could've been a pretty one," smirked Tom as he pinched the girl's cheek. It turned white for a moment then turned a deep red, like the rest of her rosy cheeks. Nagini had disappeared back into the Chamber, and Tom slipped out of the bathroom unnoticed. Luna felt herself begin to dissolve from the past, but was not interested.

"Do I really want to kill people?" she asked herself, knowing it was worthless. Her evil side would take over again tomorrow, and the Chamber of Secrets would be opened. She would see Nagini the snake, and call her to petrify more. Luna bit her lip.

"WHO AM I?" she yelled, knowing she was back in the common room and it was one in the morning. She quickly ran upstairs and fell asleep straight away in her clothes. Even though she had a good nights' sleep, sleeping in till twelve since it was the weekend the next day, she had many nightmares of killer snakes and glazed-eyed Luna. When she finally shot out of bed, awakened by the glance of a yellow-eyed basilisk, she pinched her pale cheeks and felt her forehead. She felt sick, not evil. Did she look like Ginny had before? She didn't want to look like a glazed-eyed freak.

Luna quickly raced downstairs, not bothering to change her clothes by the night before. There was only a few ghosts roaming the halls, for everyone was at lunch. Luna's stomach growled loudly but she didn't care. She had a mission.

The girl ran into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and not bothering to find Myrtle, slammed the book on the floor. It made a satisfying noise, but didn't seem like enough. Quickly she picked it up again and threw it across the room, making it land in a stall, and went straight through Myrtle's head. Luna covered her mouth and yelled over her shoulder as she ran out of the bathroom, "Sorry, Myrtle!"

"Sure," grumbled Myrtle in her high voice, sitting at the top of the circular window. "Pick on poor old Myrtle, throwing books through her. Who was that girl, anyway? Sort of looked like that sweetie Luna Lovegood. But that girl was glazed-eyed and looked flushed. Luna's usually a nice normal rosy color with beautiful eyes. That sure wasn't Luna, no surree."

Luna heard her from outside in the corridor, and a great sadness filled the pit of her stomach. Slouching, she walked slowly back to the Ravenclaw common room, not even reacting when other students jeered at her. She felt angry with herself. She knew she had done wrong, and she was scared for herself and Ginny.

Now she knew why Ginny had been so reluctant to carry on. These plans felt so wrong, yet so right. Luna wanted to resign from ever thinking about this—but somehow she knew that she had a big part to play in all of this, and she couldn't abandon it yet. And somehow, she knew that Ron, Harry, and Hermione were also important in the scheme.

"Luna," called a familiar voice. "Hey, Luna!"

It was Ginny, with Hermione Granger. Ginny's eyes didn't look so glassy, and she looked cheerful, with bushy-haired Hermione on the other side. Hermione smiled and her eyes danced as she greeted Luna.

"What are you doing here?" asked Luna carefully. "It's one o'clock in the morning!"

"Studying," Hermione yawned. "I fell asleep. I'd better get to bed. Goodnight."

"How are you?" asked Ginny in a low voice as Hermione departed.

"Scared," admitted Luna. Her gaze dropped from Ginny's and stared at the ground. It was awkwardly silent.

"Me too," Ginny whispered. "I feel myself getting weaker. I'm being pulled into Tom's side again. The Chamber is too exciting to let go of." That evil glow entered her blank eyes and Luna shook Ginny's shoulders.

"Don't let yourself be turned. Think of everything happy that you've ever had. Think of your family, your brothers. What if you were hurt? They'd be devastated."

"Harry wouldn't. He doesn't even notice me. If only," Ginny murmured wistfully, and Luna coiled away in distate. She hadn't known that Ginny had liked Harry, and found Harry and Hermione a much more likeable couple.

"He would if you met him, and talked to him every week or so," Luna whispered, and realized Ginny was crying. The hallway was emptying, and the two girls were left alone in the dimming lights, the light tears running down Ginny's rosy cheeks. They hugged, and left each other alone. Luna felt her eyes closing over and over again, but she didn't let herself sleep until she had changed into her pyjamas and had snuggled in under her covers. For once, she felt safe, warm, and fearless. She knew she would not feel the same for a very, very long time.

Luna saw Ginny talking quietly with Harry the next day at lunch and felt proud that Ginny had taken her advice. Luna decided to stop spying on them and took a deep breath. Then, following her own advice from yesterday, she walked up to Ron and said, "Hello, I'm Luna." As she spoke a sudden band of sixth year Hufflepuffs came racing down that section and she was caught in the throng. Ron was looking around confused, because he couldn't see Luna's bright blonde hair in the many students milling around. After that Luna felt even more depressed then ever, and walked back to the common room, walking straight into Hermione on the way. She was on her way to lunch, and by her bleary-eyed look you'd say she just woke up.

"Good sleep, I hope?" Luna said.

"Oh yes, thanks," Hermione answered warmly. "I'm going to get a spot of lunch and then go to the library. There's something there that I must research. Good day, Luna."

"Good day," Luna replied.

As the blonde-haired, Ravenclaw girl walked through the hallways, a sudden burst of movement from a nearby doorway made her freeze in her tracks.

"Luna Lovegood," croaked Professor McGonagall. "I am to take you to the Headmaster's office. Now."

Confused, Luna walked with the Professor to Dumbledore's office, where she said loudly, "Sherbet Lemon," and the winding staircase began to appear. Luna wasn't surprised, she had seen others go to the Headmaster's office, but she had never seen Dumbledore's office. She was intrigued.

"Luna Lovegood. It's good to see you," Dumbledore greeted warmly, pointing to a chair. Instead of leaving, Professor McGonagall stayed and stood next to the Headmaster.

"I wonder if I may…" asked Professor McGonagall wonderingly, and Dumbledore urged her. "Alright, Miss Lovegood, let's get to the point. I've noticed some… well, strange things about you lately."

Luna gulped and took a deep breath. Did they know about the Chamber of Secrets?

"What sort of things, Professor?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.

"I'd rather not say," said Professor McGonagall, her hard eyes staring right into Luna's own, "But I wonder if you could do a favour for me…"

"What sort of favour, Professor?" she asked. Now she was no longer worried.

"Listen closely. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, has died a tragic death."

"What sort of death, Professor?" asked Luna.

"I'd rather not say," Professor McGonagall said grimly. "Anyways, something big is coming up for Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley… Headmaster Dumbledore can feel it. I wonder if I could just…"

She trailed off and suddenly whipped out her wand, muttered an incantation, and kept the tip of the wand on Luna's shoulder. Suddenly Luna felt herself shrinking, shrinking, until she turned into a rabbit, hopping around the room in amazement.

"Why, Professor!" Luna cried in delight, hopping around, forgetting her troubles. "You can turn me into an animal!"

"Yes. You are one of the rare few who can easily be transfigured. You are not an Animagus, girl, you are just easy. Alright? Don't tell anyone about this. I have a plan…"

With the Professor's help, Luna grew back to her normal size, and stared at her teacher with shining eyes as the plan was explained.

"Yes. I will."

"Don't worry, the Headmaster will purchase another phoenix later. This is temporary."

"Yes."

Luna felt herself growing giddy with excitement as she thought about what the Professor had asked her to do. Amazingly enough, it felt good to be on the right side of things again! But she wondered with dismay where the diary had disappeared to after she had thrown it to Myrtle.

"Not to Harry Potter, I hope?" she wondered quietly to herself as she reached the Ravenclaw common room.

Something big was coming up. Luna could feel it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: You're kidding right?**

**Sorry about killing off the phoenix, guys. But Dumbledore does get a new one! Hope you enjoy. I know this chapter is pretty short, but… Read and review. **

_Chapter Seven: Petrified_

Professor McGonagall didn't confront Luna again. With all her free time after and before classes that she used to use for the Chamber of Secrets, she caught up with Ginny and sometimes chatted with Hermione. She found herself liking the bushy-haired girl more and more.

Sometimes Luna tried to practice changing herself with her own wand, but it never worked. The Professor's seemed to have that magical, transfiguration touch to it. The only way that Luna could turn into anything was for Professor McGonagall's wand to touch her.

It was getting closer and closer to another Quidditch match. Luna wasn't a huge fan for Quidditch, so she hung about in the library while they played. This day, Luna had a large amount of homework to do so she found herself walking to the library a few hours before the Quidditch match.

"Good afternoon, Miss Lovegood. Not going to the Quidditch game, I presume?" the librarian asked her as she passed.

"Not planning on it," Luna answered hurriedly as she raced over to the Potions section, frantically looking up a good-luck Potion that they were supposed to write an essay on… Felix something, Luna couldn't remember the name exactly.

"Hello Luna! Nice meeting you here," smiled Hermione. She had been on the other side of the Potions shelf. Luna noticed she had an old crumpled up paper in her hand, and when Hermione saw that Luna had seen it, she quickly stuffed it inside her pocket.

"Why do you have a mirror?" asked Luna. Hermione was carrying a hand-held mirror.

"To touch up on myself," Hermione giggled. "No, for second-year reasons. Strictly for us. Sorry."

"That's alright," Luna said, already back to searching the books.

An hour later Luna declared herself finished her Potions homework. The good-luck potion was amazing indeed. She moved on to Charms, taking out her wand and practicing the "Swish and Flick" while at the same time looking for a book on enchanted quills. Suddenly she heard a small cry.

"Hermione!" Luna yelped. She raced over to the corner of the library, where Hermione stood, still as a statue. Her eyes were glassy and her skin cold. She was petrified.

"Oh, no. Hermione…"

Luna ran her fingers on the girl's cold skin, carefully feeling her frozen hair. She felt terrible. Why hadn't she been with Hermione so she wouldn't have been petrified?

"Ginny, come out," Luna called. By now the librarian was skidding around the shelves of books, wondering about the yells she had heard moments earlier. Luna knew they had to act fast before they were accused of petrifying the girl.

Ginny's red hair peeked out from behind the Transfiguration bookshelf. Obviously she had learned a little Parseltongue from Tom and gotten the snake to come through the pipes.

"How could you?" Luna whispered angrily, watching as the librarian grabbed Hermione and dragged her out of the library. "Hermione's your friend! You betrayed her for Tom Riddle."

"Hermione's a mud-blood." The words sent shivers down Luna's spine. "It had to be done if we want to rid of them all. Oh, and by the way—I know your plan."

She winked at the tear-stricken Luna and walked away, leaving Luna alone and unhappy. Hermione had been Luna's friend as well.

"All students must leave the library at once," came Professor McGonagall's voice from the intercom. "There has been an attack. Thank-you."

Luna stood in her hiding place for what seemed like hours, calmed by the serenity of the scene around her. With a smart girl like Hermione petrified, where was the hope for the rest of them?

Luna thought hard about Ginny. The red-haired girl seemed so innocent, but she kept being pulled back to the evil side. As Luna pictured Ginny in her mind, she realized Ginny had the diary in her arms. That meant… she had stolen it from Harry Potter. A few days ago Hermione had mentioned Harry having a diary, Tom Riddle's diary. Luna thought he would rid of it, but obviously Ginny had snuck into the boys' domitories, wrecked Harry's things, and stolen the book.

Luna was thunderstruck. How could the girl be so cold?

Harry and Ron visited Hermione daily. Luna didn't want them to see her, for they didn't know that she was Hermione's friend, so Luna visited after they had, stroking Hermione's hand and more than a few times looking at the piece of paper she had in her hand, then crumpling it. She knew that Harry and Ron would find it sometime, and that it would lead them straight to the basilisk.

"Hermione. Where are you?" asked Luna, stroking her friend's cheek. "I need help. I don't want your friends to die."

Then she was chased out, for visiting hours we over. She went straight up to Professor Dumbledore's office and walked up to him. "Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes?"

"I know who opened the Chamber of Secrets."

Professor Dumbledore did not look in the least bit surprised.

"Yes, Miss Lovegood. I do as well."

"Then why don't you expel her?"

The Headmaster shook his head.

"That can't be done. She is a good student, possessed by the persuasion powers of a former student. It is not entirely her fault."

"I suppose," Luna replied doubtfully.

There was a pause.

"Professor?"

"Yes."

"I can speak Parseltongue as well. I helped Petrify Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey."

"I knew that as well, Miss Lovegood. You see, I have an amazing mind for details."

"I can see that, Professor."

"Luna Lovegood, you have a heart of gold. Use it well as you help your friends."

"Professor Dumbledore…"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Thank-you. You're very sane."

Professor Dumbledore, not quite knowing how to answer this, said, "Your welcome, Miss. So are you."

Luna felt some of her dreaminess come back to her. She soon realized that she was running out of shoes, and thought grimly, 'The house-elves are attacking, just as father said they would.'

Luna felt as if her part was almost over, but she knew deep down that it was just beginning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Isn't it a little bit…umm…well… OBVIOUS?**

**Last chapter… Luna's a little more sane in this one. Oh, and by the way, like a few other chapters, I don't exactly copy J.K. Rowling's exact words for when the characters speak, so go easy on me! Other than that, you'll have to read to find out. Hope you like it!**

_Chapter Eight: Finding Fawkes_

Luna's heart jumped for the next week every day she woke up. She had a feeling, a strong sense, that Harry and Ron would plan on how to go down to the Chamber. But Ginny did the unthinkable, and met Luna in the hall outside the Great Hall before doing it.

"Tom wants me to go inside the Chamber," Ginny told Luna briskly. It was in the middle of the morning, and Luna, tight-lipped, stared back at her friend. It looked like Ginny tried to fight the battle against Tom—and lost. Her mind was taken over once more. "And I'm going to."

"THAT'S INSANE!" yelled Luna. When she noticed other students were looking at them confusedly, she lowered her voice and whispered firmly, "You can't."

"I can and will," Ginny said proudly. "I'm going to write in on the wall in blood before I leave, so they have a reason to worry."

"You might die down there!" Luna cried as Ginny started to walk away. She caught up with the red-haired girl. "Besides, what are you going to write? 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever'? Come on, Ginny."

Ginny pondered this as they neared Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"I was going to say, 'She is lying in front of the basilisk, ready to die,' or something, but yours is much better. Thanks!"

Luna noticed the passion hidden under pain in Ginny's eyes. Luna knew what it felt like to be obsessed with helping the amazing, thoughtful Tom, but Luna had been strong enough to fight that off. Why not Ginny too?

By the middle of the afternoon, the whole school was in knots because of Ginny's message. She had already left, and was in the Chamber. There was nothing Luna could do but wait. She bit her lip as she watched the teachers discuss everything angrily in front of the message. With surprise she saw Ron and Harry peeking out from behind a wall, watching the teachers intently. When Professor McGonagall said Ginny had been stolen, Ron's face turned pale and he and Harry disappeared.

Luna knew her time was coming. Even though students were supposed to be in their domitories, she surged out of hiding and said, "It's time, Professor."

Professor Dumbledore stared at her in surprise, then smiled gently and sadly.

"It is indeed, Miss Lovegood. I have the hat for you. The invisible spells are set. You are to carry Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Gilderoy Lockhart out after the deed is done. You know what to do."

"Yes."

As the tip of Professor McGonagall's wand touched Luna's shoulder, Luna found herself shrinking into a cooing, flame-coloured phoenix. She clucked and flew into the air, finding her wings easy to use.

She followed Professor Dumbledore to his office, where he stopped outside the winding staircases and said, "You are to speak of this to no one, understood? Harry must find his courage before defeating Voldemort for good. He needs to know that we had not helped him, but that the Gryffindor sword came to him because he was a strong Gryffindor."

"He is a strong Gryffindor!" cooed Luna. She only talked to teachers in this form, but when this Harry, she was forbidden to talk to him. "The Gryffindor sword appeared by magic, which is true. You can't deny that, Professor."

Professor Dumbledore said the new password and walked onto the moving staircase that led up to his office. "I can't and shan't. But remember, Luna: crying, in some situations, is the key. Oh, and one more thing—eyes are very important, especially for specific types of animals, don't you?"

Luna looked after him in wonder as he disappeared into his office. Crying is the key…eyes are important. She should remember that. She hid it in her mind as she bunched up her feathers and flew to the bathroom.

"Moaning Myrtle," she groaned as she realized the problem, "Can you speak Parseltongue?"

"Luna? Is that you?" asked Myrtle, than caught sight of the bird. "Great scott, you're a transfiguration gone wrong! I'll flood the bathroom so someone will notice and take you to the hospital wing."

"CAN YOU SPEAK PARSELTONGUE?" asked Luna impatiently.

"Well… No. Sorry. Are you getting into the Chamber?" Myrtle's usually sad voice sounded strong and excited. "Can't you speak it when you're a bird?"

"Unfortunately, no," Luna admitted. "I've tried but haven't succeeded. Maybe…"

Suddenly there was a movement at the door. Harry, Ron, and Lockhart suddenly appeared. Luna flew into an empty stall, locked the door in the nick of time, and stood on the toilet. Luckily phoenix's have a good sense of hearing, so she could hear the conversation practically perfectly.

"I came here to ask you," Harry was saying carefully, "How you died."

And Myrtle told of how she died. Luna felt sick at the prospect of Myrtle dying by the monster that just months ago Luna had called upon, but she stayed strong and kept listening.

"You go first," Harry was saying icily to Lockhart.

"Why not one of you?" Lockhart asked desperately. He sounded completely unknowledgeable, and downright idiotic.

"Better you then us," Ron challenged. Luna swooned at the thought of her crush on the other side of the stall door.

Lockhart nodded (Luna could kind of see through the crack) and disappeared, yelling, down the hole. A few minutes later the boys did the same, after chatting a bit with Myrtle. Myrtle appeared in her stall and said, "Isn't he dreamy?"

"Harry? Nah," Luna disagreed. "Ron is. But we can't talk about this now. Dumbledore put the hat at the bottom of the Chamber… I was supposed to get there before the boys! Oh, ghastly spirits…" she cursed.

"Just go down and camouflage," Myrtle suggested, drifting to the circular window again. "That's the only thing you can do."

Luna agreed and flew over the top of the stall, not bothering to unlock it. It wasn't like anyone went to the bathroom there anyway. She flew lightly down the short, winding tunnel until reaching a cave that led on. She could see Ron and Lockhart and Harry.

Suddenly Lockhart grabbed Ron's wand. Luna chuckled: she knew there was trouble coming up, there were a lot of jokes in Ravenclaw about Ron's broken wand. Lockhart said a memory spell, and it backfired, sending Lockhart against the wall.

"Wow. That was quite a slam," Luna murmured as the walls began to cave. Luna knew that if she was to help Harry at all, she had to get to the other side. She couldn't be trapped! But the rocks were falling fast, and she couldn't bear to be killed down here, with bones under her feet. Luna stayed where she was, in the shadowy corner, watching the rocks fall in anger. Why did Lockhart have to do that? Now Harry would most certainly die in the Chamber. Even in her state, Luna had to giggle as Ron hit Lockhart in the head with a rock and Lockhart fell unconscious.

But wait!

There was a small opening in the rocks. Ron and Harry, at the moment, were talking desperately to each other through it. After Harry disappeared, Ron began shifting some rocks, then Lockhart woke up from being unconscious. Ron began talking to the memory stricken man, and Luna edged across the walls until she reached the rock. Then she quickly flew up through the hole and saw Harry just disappearing through a door with snakes on it. Luna shivered.

"Was that a bird?" Lockhart asked Ron as Luna flew through the hole.

"Shut up," Ron said and hit Lockhart between the legs with a rock.

"OWWWW!" Lockhart yelped, not loud enough for Harry to hear. Luna giggled, but became serious again. She followed Harry through the door, and a disgusting sight awaited her as she peeked out from behind the door.

The cave floor was practically flooded—water from the pipes. Luna's feathers close to her beak wrinkled up as she cawed softly with distate. The smell was horrific. But the sight pretty much substituted.

"Ginny!" Harry was saying. The motionless, red-haired girl lay at the front of the Chamber, close to the slithery head of Salazar Slytherin, whose face was engraved in the wall, popping out 3-D style. "Wake up, Ginny. Wake up!"

"She won't wake."

Luna bite her tongue to fight back screeching her distate for the smug-looking, younger boy. She watched coldly as he approached Harry.

The open-mouthed, hissing snake statues that lined the walls seemed to light up as Tom appeared. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air. Luna flew overhead, and realized that Ginny held the book in her cold, pale hands. Luna tucked herself in the shadowy corner of the cavern to make sure no one—friend or foe—saw her.

"My new target for the past few months has been…" Tom snarled, taking a menacing step towards Harry. Harry's green eyes alighted with desperation, contempt, and—as Luna could see—a flash of fear. "You."

Harry's eyes widened with surprise. He took a step back as Tom walked forward once more.

"How is it that a boy of only two took on and matched the powers of the great Lord Voldemort?"

"Lord Voldemort was after your time!" Harry cried, his foot sloshing in the water as he moved back in fear. Luna felt sorry for him as Tom smiled sickly.

"He is… my past, and present."

In the dim light of the cavern, standing close to Ginny's almost-dead body, he turned around and wrote these words with the tip of his wand: Tom Marvolo Riddle. They showed up in a sparking red, and when they rearranged themselves, Luna wasn't surprised. Dumbledore had warned her that this might be the case.

"I AM LORD VOLDEMORT." Harry repeated the words softly under his breath. "You."

There was more talk after, but Luna didn't listen. She knew she couldn't—the time was coming for Tom to call the snake from the depths of the cavern. She couldn't be there when that happened—she had to be at the entrance.

Soon, after a few more minutes, Luna gathered up the hat and the invisible sword in her beak and flew back into it—this time, loudly, so she could be seen. She could sense that the snake was coming soon, and Harry had to be ready. The raven-haired boy would be disappointed, but when the disappearing charm faded, he would certainly win the battle.

"So this is what Dumbledore sends you. A bird, and an old hat," Tom laughed scornfully. Luna knew what was coming and flew back from the entrance, shaking a little as her wings beat. She knew what was coming—the snake. The great snake, the basilisk! She shut her feather-covered eyes as she heard a door being moved and felt sick as she heard the slither of a snake on water. Soon, Harry's loud footsteps sounded, and Luna suddenly took a deep breath.

"EYES ARE IMPORTANT!" she cawed, and flew back into the room. The snake snapped at her, but she flew around his head too quickly for him. She used her claws to destroy and bloody up his eyes, and soon he was blind. After the deed was done, she flew away, back to the rocks in which Ron was still captured, and waited with them.

"Hey!" Ron yelled loudly as he saw Luna. Luna groaned inwardly—she hadn't expected to be found at all. "It's the bird, Fawkes. Dumbledore's phoenix."

"That's the bird I saw!" Lockhart yelped in delight, clapping his hands. "Here, birdy, birdy. Here, birdy, birdy."

Ron simply hit him in the head with yet another rock.

"Oh, I do hope me mate's alright," Ron groaned. "He's really not too bad, for a famous one."

Luna had to smile (or, as much as she could smile since she was still a bird) at that comment. Suddenly the sound of a splash came—the snake had faked Harry out and emerged from the water. Harry probably was going to climb of the snake-beard of Salazar Slytherin and then kill the snake from there. For about twenty more minutes, silence. Then the scream of a destroyed memory… Utter silence. Then there was voices.

Ron, who had been slouching, sat up and didn't even clobber Lockhart when he woke from being unconscious again.

"Fly, Fawkes, fly!" he told Luna, stroking her feathers. She glowed at the touch of her crush, but hurried through the hole (which had gotten a little bigger from Ron's moving of the rocks) and flew down to the cavern, where she found Harry and Ginny.

Ginny was awake and well, but wide-eyed and looking scared. Harry seemed to have a dreadful wound, that was killing him quickly.

Luna waddled up to him and nuzzled him, her big black eyes sad.

"You did brilliant, Fawkes," he told her, then his eyes went bright with sadness. "I just wasn't quick enough."

Luna couldn't take that as an answer, and suddenly remembered Dumbledore's first saying: Crying is the key. Her eyes were already thick with tears, and she made sure they fell on the bloody wound. Quickly and silently, it healed until Luna was out of tears.

Harry, ecstatic, turned to Fawkes (Luna) once more. "Of course! Phoenix tears heal!"

Luna couldn't help feeling proud as she, Ginny, and Harry collected Ron and Lockhart, and she flew them up to the castle. She, Luna Lovegood, had saved Harry Potter's life—and perhaps Hogwarts as well in doing so.

When she turned back to her normal self, Hermione (who had been cured) was talking happily with Harry and Ron. Luna stepped in and Ginny stopped her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't try to be mean," the red-haired girl muttered, downcast.

Luna put her arm around her.

"That's alright. I wasn't exactly a saint this year either."

They linked arms.

"Want to help me find my shoes?" asked Luna. "People have been hiding them.

"Of course."

And the two girls walked off, the Chamber of Secrets forgotten completely, and instead the happiness of summer danced in their heads.


End file.
